Prevalence of Dental Anxiety and the Influence of Various Factors in Children Aged 12 to 18 Years in Zagreb, Croatia

Background/Objectives: Children who experience high levels of dental anxiety tend to exhibit poor cooperation during dental visits, which compromises treatment outcomes and leads to a vicious cycle with poor oral health and caries prevention outcomes. The purpose of this study is to analyze the prevalence of dental anxiety in a sample of clinical subjects with children and possible correlations with other factors, as well as the longitudinal nature of anxiety.

Methods

This cross-sectional and longitudinal study was conducted on a sample of 150 children aged 12 to 18 years in the city of Zagreb and Zagreb County. The MDAS (Modified Dental Anxiety Scale) was used to collect data related to dental anxiety at three time intervals: before the clinical examination (T1), after the clinical examination (T2), and after a period of 3 months (T3).